Improvement in gun-wipers



T. Y.'BROWN..

Gun-Wipers.

Patented April 22,1879.

a'xg y N-FETERS1 FHOTO-HTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

T. YARDLEY BROWN, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GUN-WIPERS.-

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,484 dated April 22,1879 application filed September 14, 1878.

To all whom it'may concern:

Be it known that I, T. YARDLEY BROWN, of the city of Readin g, county ofBerks, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Wipers or Cleaners for Small-Arms and Ordnance, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This improvement is fully set forth in the following specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isan elevation of the wiper or cleaner A, in connection with the patchesD, cord B, washer g, knot 0, metal guard E, and knife end F. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the base of the cone A, showing its serrations, and a planof patch D. Fig. 3 is a partial sectional elevation of the barrel of abreech-loading gun, showing the application of the wiper to the same.Fig. 4 is a section and end view of an elastic serrated disk, which maybe substituted forthe cone, but is not as efiectual.

Similar letters refer to similar parts.

I am aware that rubber cones and other elastic devices have beenpatented and. used for the purpose of cleaning the barrels ofbreech-loading guns; but all that have passed under my observation havebeen combined with steel or other springs, or were placed in reverseorder on and kept in place by nuts on the end of the ramrod, or thematerial forming the swab or cleaner was held between clampin g-diskssecured on a pin by nuts or an equivalent device, the pin being piercedin the direction of its length for the introduction of a cord, which,being dropped through the barrel, was used to draw the swab or cleanerthrough the same. y

The objection to the use of the many devices offered for the purpose ofcleaning firearms, more particularly breech-loaders, where a steel oriron or wooden rod, steel-ferruled, is used for the attachment of thewiper or cleaner, lies in the liability to injury of the muzzle orbreech, (dependent upon which end of the barrel the insertion of thewiper is made,) occasioned by contact of the two metals in operating thecleaning device. This detracts from the shooting qualities of the gun,causing a constant and increased inaccuracy in the range and power ofthe piece.

There has been an attempt to correct this evil by the introduction ofcylindrical swabs, wipers, or cleaners, in the use of which, in lieu ofa ramrod, a cord attached to the swab was used for the purpose ofdrawing the wiper through the barrel to be cleaned. This device, in ameasure meeting the objections to the first plan, has not met the wantsof the sportsman. Owing to the rigidity of the clamped swabs there wasnot any, or at least very little, absorbent surface exposed, and thecylindrical surface not being susceptible of compression within itselfcould not adapt itself to but very slight differences of bore in thebarrel desired to be cleaned, another objection being that, after apassage of the wiper through the barrel, the greater portion of the dirtremoved would be found adhering to the wiper, V

notably so on the alternate plain and knotted disk-cleaners, thusnecessitating the cleaning of the wiper itself.

Where cleaners have been used whose mobility in the bore was dependentupon springs, either making part of the cleaner, as in the Berdanpatent, or placed on the rod, but independent of it, and on either ofwhich patches have been used, the action of the springs, from want ofuniformity, ride over or press harder upon some points than in others inpassing through the barrel, thus leaving portions imperfectly cleaned;and when greasing the barrel to lay away, such parts as would beuntouched would be liable to rust, to the injury of the gun.

I claim to have overcome all of the above objections, and to haveconstructed a wiper which is readily applicable, suitable for barrels ofvarying caliber, which may be carried in the vest-pocket, and is alwaysready for use, and after use cleaned by the simple withdrawal of thefront patch from the cord.

To enable those skilled in the art to 0011- struct wipers or cleaners,in accordance with my invention, I will now explain the construction ofthe same.

The cone A or disk A" is made of elastic material, rubber being giventhe preference,

and is adapted to the bore of the barrel to be cleaned, and, inconnection with the cone A or disk A, to the use of the patches D, whichmay be of felt, cloth, flannel, or any woolen material. Thesepatches-from one to ten in number, and of such size that when drawn intothe bore of the gun to be cleaned they shall envelop the cone A ordisk'A-are pierced by the knife F of the guardE, and slipped over it andon the cord B until, in contact with the cone A or disk A, the cord B issecured in the cone or disk by a knot, O, the knot resting against alight metal washer, g, to distribute the pressure over the surface ofthe opposing cone or disk. The cone A and disk A are both serrated onplan, the serrations on the cone extending longitudinally on its face.(Shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4.) This permits the compression of the coneor disk, and they are thus adapted to suit any change which may occur inthe bore from the breech to the muzzle, and also permits the use of asingle wiper for barrels of considerable variation in caliber.

In cleaning a gun, the guard end E of th cord B is dropped through thebarrel, seized by the hand, as shown in Fig. 4, and drawn through. Thiscauses the patches D to crimp up around the cone or disk, which,although enveloped thereby, does not lose its elasticity, and furnishesthe requisite force to cause the patches to follow all the inequalitiesof the bore, should any exist, thus thoroughly cleansing every part inboth smooth and rifled bores. 0n withdrawing the wiper all the dirtcontained in the barrel will be found adhering to the front patch, D.This is removed from the cord, leaving the wiper as clean as before use.

There being no hard substance used, there can be no abrasion of thebarrel, and the firearm remains effective fora much longer period thanwhen cleaned with the wipers now in use.

By dispensing with the ramrod, which by this improvement is rendered nolonger necessary, the weight of I the fire-arm is to that extentlightened, and its construction cheapened by the saving of the labor onthe ramrod and its accessories, together with the appliances to thebarrel and stock in which to secure the ramrod when not in use.

My improvement is useful independent of its duty as a wiper, which willsuggest itself to the sportsman. This is its use as a gamestring. Afterthe days sport is over, the piece cleaned, and the first or dirt patchremoved from the cord, then using the metal guard end E, with itsknife-edge F as a needle, the game is strung upon the cord B, andretained by the wiper.

I do not, in the use of my improvement, confine myself to the cleaningof merely sporting or army small-arms, as the wiper is applicable to thecleaning of all breech-loading arms, including the largest ordnance,both smooth bore and rifled.

For use in large-bore guns, I would substitute for the cord B a lightwooden rod, with a suitable wooden head, against which the cone A ordisk A" would rest, with its patches D in advance, as on the cord B.

The force expended in doingthe work of cleaning being in the directionof the fibers of the wood, a comparatively light rod will answer.

3. The cord B, provided with a metal guard,

E, and knife end F, in combination with the elastic cone A, patch D, andwasher g.

4. The combination of the elastic cone A, patches D, washer g, cord B,with its metal guard E and knife end F, when so combined and used, forthe purpose substantially shown and described.

T. YARDLEY BROWN.

\Vitnesses ALFRED S. THOMPSON, AMOS BRINER.

Having thus described my improvement,

